Alain Guillotin

Alain Guillotin played a key role in Fontaine's history and is associated with Fontainian organizations such as the Narzissenkreuz Institute, the Institute of Natural Philosophy, and the Marechaussee Phantom. He is the founder of the Fontaine Research Institute of Kinetic Energy Engineering, with his most notable contribution to Fontaine being his research in Pneuma-Ousia, which led to the invention of the Arkhe system and the creation of Clockwork Meka. Ever since Alain Guillotin invented energy blocks over 400 years ago, most of Fontaine's clockwork meka operations have been powered via controlled Pneuma-Ousia annihilation reactions provided by those energy blocks.

Alain's upbringing took place at the Narzissenkreuz Institute, which is where he met Mary-Ann, another orphan under the Institute's care. During the Cataclysm, around 500 years ago, the Director and Vice Director left the Institute to assist in battle. Unfortunately, the Vice Director, Basil Elton, never returned. Prior to her departure, the Vice Director requested Alain and Mary-Ann be adopted by the Marechaussee Hunter, Emanuel Guillotin, should she not return. During his time at the institute, Alain became close friends with Rene de Petrichor. The Narzissenkreuz Institute was disbanded after the disappearance of the Director and Vice Director.

Alain later joined the Institute of Natural Philosophy. Alain was recognized as a child prodigy since he joined the Institute at a young age. At the now-ruined Institute, Alain spearheaded energy research. His research centered around solving Fontaine's energy crisis, which ultimately led him to study Khaenri'ahn technology in addition to the technological advancements from the era of King Deshret. Jakob and Rene went on a research expedition in Sumeru, and upon their return, Jakob and Rene received a recommendation for admission into the Institute on Alain's behalf. Alain’s research centered around controlled annihilation between Ousia and Pneuma at this time. Alain eventually made a huge breakthrough, causing everyone to rejoice in Fontaine's energy revolution. Alain's plan was to study kinematics once the energy problem was solved. Alain and Rene created Primenergy Machinery and used its characteristics of Ousia and Pneuma to construct a kinetic core. Alain's sickly research assistant, Carter Scherbius, took part in helping these projects as best as he could. Over time, Rene, Jakob, Carter, Alain, and Mary-Ann developed a deep friendship. Alain gifted a pocket watch to Rene and Jakob which held significant meaning to them ever since.

Mary-Ann became a member of the Marechaussee Phantom, while Alain continued research at the Institute. It is said that while Alain was at the Institute of Natural Philosophy, he successfully engineered a thinking machine to support his sister's endeavors within the Marechaussee. As these statements largely come from previous colleagues of his (most of whom died fighting Elynas), and there was "no physical evidence of it, it was never entered into an official record." Carter had suggested creating such a thinking machine, a thinking Kamera to be precise, so that it would take photos of those precious to Alain while he was busy. Alain found using a thinking Kamera for this reason to be pointless, but he found such a machine useful for security and surveillance applications. Seymour, Prototype 4ACV07, was the thinking machine Alain created for Mary-Ann. Together, Mary-Ann and Seymour found Lyris swimming sorrowfully in circles at the ruins of the orphanage, now known as the Annapausis, sometime later. Seymour says Lyris failed to understand the link between the disaster, the orphans fleeing, and her own conduct, and so she wanders the ruins, drowning in guilt and expectation.

Regrettably, the once-strong friendship between Alain, Mary-Ann, Rene, and Jakob came to an abrupt end after Alain and Mary-Ann discovered Rene and Jakob had been performing experiments on Carter, which had disastrous effects on him. Rene continued with his ambitions, and Alain joined the Marechaussee Phantom. When Alain learned of Rene's intentions to reanimate Elynas, he promptly took action and reported the matter to the Chief Justice, Neuvillette. Soon after, a fierce confrontation between the Narzissenkreuz Ordo and the Marechaussee Hunters took place within Elynas. "In the end, someone triggered an explosion that caused a terrible shockwave; many people died." Together with Neuvillette, Alain helped to declare the Narzissenkreuz Ordo an illegal extremist group and a criminal organization afterward. The location was permanently sealed from that day forth. Alain left the Marechaussee Phantom and established the Fontaine Research Institute of Kinetic Energy Engineering. The Fontaine Research Institute is dedicated to studying machines and energy. As a tribute to his friend Carter, the Suppression Specialist Mek was referred to as the "Cal. Scherbius" type.

In Alain's old age, he retired from the Fontaine Research Institute and would see no one. The research he undertook in his final years was never published, although the items that could be found in his personal workshop indicate something had been built.

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